. >> studying up on congressman ryan's positions. >> reporter: and tonight's showdown also comes at a critical time in the campaign. >> i've been in business for 25 years. i have no idea what you're talking about. >> reporter: last week mitt romney dominated in his first debate against president obama. in an exclusive interview with abc news' diane sawyer, the president admitted he had a bad night. >> your supporters have been saying, this wasn't a bad night. you didn't show up. >> as i said, there's no doubt that i can make a better case, which is why i'm so looking forward to tuesday. >> is it possible you handed him the election that night? >> no. >> reporter: but polls among likely voters show romney did get a boost after the debate. and he's taking advantage of it. >> we can't afford another series of budget deficits of roughly $1 trillion a year. recognize, this is not just bad for the economy. it's bad for jobs. >> reporter: brandi hitt, abc news, danville, kentucky. >>> abc news is proud to play a special role in tonight's debate. abc's chief foreign affairs correspondent, mar